ShopJimmy salvages TV parts, reduces e-waste

Flaws in shipping sometimes result in cracked, shattered, or dented televisions. Useless? ShopJimmy.com doesn't think so. The Minnesota-based company had a revenue of $3 million this year by salvaging functioning parts from damaged televisions.

Every week, ShopJimmy receives between 800 and 1,000 broken TVs to disassemble in search of sellable parts for small repair shops.

"We're looking to limit the random e-waste that ends up in landfills," said Ryan Zarlengo, marketing director at ShopJimmy.com. The company is also sparing resources by lowering the demand of brand-new replacement parts (which are far more expensive than Jimmy's salvaged parts).

But ShopJimmy has greater plans for the TV repair industry. It's looking to bridge gaps between electronics repair technicians and e-commerce, Zarlengo explained. Electronics repair technicians will be able to open their own ShopJimmy stores to sell new or used parts collecting dust on store shelves.

Eighty companies have already registered for the free service, six of which are ready for business.

"People in the electronics repair industry are dealing with cutting-edge technology, but they're late adopters who aren't internet savvy," Zarlengo said. To further connect the industry with online tools, ShopJimmy is working on Teklandia, a social network for repair technicians.

Members will be able to exchange information and build connections in a niche social media environment. And it's all free.